Cannabis Price Index Feb 16: CBD Retreats, Hardware Holds

Editorial Brief

This weekly update of the CannabisDealsUS Cannabis Price Index shows CBD prices fall across four of five subcategories as THC Vape extends its recovery

The CannabisDealsUS Cannabis Price Index rose 1.13 points this week to 101.52, but the headline gain masks a clean split in the market. CBD subcategories declined across four of five segments — Capsules fell hardest at −4.4%, Edibles dropped 5.1% — while THC Vape gained 2.8% and THC Edibles ticked higher. Hardware categories continued to hold elevated levels, with Vaporizers sustaining a third consecutive week above baseline and Grinders holding their 122.22 index position from last week. The divergence between CBD and THC pricing, which first became visible in late January, is now widening into a structural pattern.

The CBD pullback carries a discount signal worth noting. CBD Capsules saw 27.2% of tracked products carrying a discount this week at an average depth of 51.6% — the deepest discount depth of any subcategory in the index. This combination of high penetration and deep cuts is more consistent with clearance activity than routine promotional cycling. CBD For Pets showed a similar pattern: 21.6% of products discounted at 50.4% depth. By contrast, CBD Oil maintained pricing discipline at 7.6% discount penetration, suggesting the segment is holding margin while adjacent categories erode.

Category to Watch: CBD Capsules

CBD Capsules averaged £46.71 across 36 tracked products this week, down from £48.88 the prior week — a 4.4% decline that pushes the subcategory’s index to 95.56, its lowest point in the tracked period. Discount penetration stands at 27.2%, with average discount depth of 51.6% among the 19 products on promotion. The depth figure is exceptional: it means the average discounted Capsule product is being sold at roughly half its regular list price. CBD Creams, by contrast, gained 4.7% this week to £62.16, demonstrating that premium wellness positioning can hold even as mass-market CBD formats soften. The divergence within CBD itself — Creams rising while Capsules, Edibles, and For Pets all fall — may reflect a repositioning of the wellness channel toward topicals and away from ingestibles.

Quote-Ready Stats

• CBD Capsules: 27.2% of products on discount this week at an average depth of 51.6%, with average effective price falling to £46.71 across 36 tracked products
• THC Vape: 310 of 1,410 tracked products carried a discount at 34.3% average depth, with average effective price rising 2.8% week over week to £28.55
• Vaporizers held at £66.87 average (index 118.04) for the third consecutive week above baseline, with only 2.0% of 1,656 products on discount

Editorial Angles

• CBD Capsule pricing under pressure: clearance or category decline? The combination of a 4.4% price drop, 51.6% average discount depth, and a thin 36-SKU population suggests concentrated markdown activity — worth examining whether major retailers are cycling out of the format
• Vaporizer premium pricing enters its third week: Sustained elevation at 118% of baseline with minimal discounting raises the question of whether device pricing has found a new floor post-holiday, or whether a correction is overdue
• CBD vs THC pricing divergence widens: With CBD averaging £44.15 (−3.4% WoW) and THC averaging £28.70 (+1.3% WoW), the spread between the two segment averages has grown for the third consecutive week — a structural story with implications for how retailers are allocating promotional spend

Weekly Data Report

Weekly Headline Stats

The overall index rose 1.13 points this week, driven primarily by continued hardware elevation rather than broad-based price inflation. CBD segment softness offset the hardware contribution, keeping the overall figure contained. The increase reflects category mix effects more than directional market movement.

Overall Price Distribution

CBD vs THC Snapshot

CBD had its weakest week in the tracked period. Four of five subcategories declined, with Edibles falling 5.1% and Capsules dropping 4.4% to their lowest index reading since tracking began. CBD Creams were the sole exception, rising 4.7%. THC moved in the opposite direction: Vape gained 2.8%, Edibles ticked up 0.8%. THC Oil continued to swing wildly (+19.9% last week, −16.6% this week) on a population of just 33 products — statistical noise, not trend.

CBD Categories

CBD had its weakest week in the tracked period. Four of five subcategories declined, with Capsules and Edibles leading the pullback. CBD Creams were the sole exception, rising 4.7% — a pattern that may reflect topical wellness formats holding premium positioning as mass-market ingestibles soften.

CBD segment average effective price: £44.15 (−3.4% week over week across 789 products)

CBD Oil’s relative resilience — down only 2.5% with just 7.6% discount penetration — contrasts with Capsules and For Pets, where both price and discount depth moved significantly. The pattern suggests the channel is bifurcating: premium CBD Oil holding position while supplement-format CBDs experience pricing pressure.

THC Categories

THC consumables moved in the opposite direction to CBD. Vape gained 2.8% and Edibles ticked up 0.8%, both consistent with a category stabilising after months of gradual compression. THC Oil is the outlier: down 16.6% week over week with only 33 products in the tracked population — a sharp reversal from last week’s 19.9% gain. With this few SKUs, individual listings dominate the average; the category remains statistically unstable.

THC segment average effective price: £28.70 (+1.3% week over week across 2,263 products)

Category Performance Analysis

Consumables Overview

Consumable category discounting remained concentrated in CBD and THC formats, with 1,499 total products on promotion across the index this week. CBD categories accounted for a disproportionate share of discount depth despite representing a smaller product population than THC. THC Edibles and Vape together accounted for 678 discounted products — significant in volume terms but moderate in depth (42% and 34% respectively) compared to CBD Capsules at 51.6%.

Small Sample Volatility

Three categories exhibit high variance due to limited product counts and should be interpreted cautiously:

• THC Oil (33 products): ±16% swings week over week are common at this population size. The 16.6% decline this week directly follows a 19.9% gain last week — this is volatility, not trend.
• CBD Capsules (36 products): Meaningful price moves are possible from single-SKU repricing. The 4.4% drop this week may reflect a small number of high-value products entering or leaving promotion.
• Mushrooms (119 products): Down 4.8% this week; emerging category with pricing still establishing norms.

Hardware & Accessories

Vaporizers

Vaporizers gave back 2.1% this week but remain elevated at 118.04% of baseline — the third consecutive week the category has traded above 118. The minor pullback from last week’s £68.30 to £66.87 is consistent with normal variance rather than a reversal. Discount penetration at 2.0% confirms retailers are not using promotions to defend price levels. This sustained premium positioning across a 1,656-product population carries statistical weight.

Headshop Categories

Grinders — Holding Elevated

Grinders held last week’s elevated index level at 122.22 with prices unchanged at £35.77 and product count stable at 1,018. The absence of any corrective move after the prior week’s 21.1% jump suggests the repositioning has stuck — at least for now. With discount penetration at just 0.6%, there is no promotional pressure in the category. Whether this reflects a sustained catalogue repricing or a temporary inventory effect will become clearer over the next two to three weeks.

Other Headshop Segments

The rest of the headshop category held flat. Trays & Storage continues to trade below baseline at 93.57, consistent with persistent soft pricing in low-margin accessories. Bongs & Water Pipes — the largest category by product count at 9,416 — remained stable within 1% of baseline.

Grow Equipment

Grow equipment remained at baseline with no meaningful movement. The category has traded within 0.5% of 100 for five consecutive weeks, reflecting structural pricing stability consistent with a specialist, less price-sensitive buyer base.

Other Sectors (context)

Hardware held its elevated position for a third consecutive week. Vaporizers (118.04) and Grinders (122.22) both continue to trade well above baseline with discount penetration under 2%, confirming margin discipline rather than promotional support. Trays & Storage (93.57) remains the softest headshop segment. Grow equipment has now traded within 0.5% of baseline for five consecutive weeks.

What to Watch Next Week

Watch whether CBD Capsule prices stabilise following this week’s −4.4% decline and 51.6% average discount depth — the deepest of any tracked subcategory. If discount penetration rises above 30% next week, that signals continued markdown pressure rather than a floor. THC Oil warrants monitoring: the category has swung +19.9% then −16.6% in consecutive weeks on just 33 products — a third volatile week would confirm structural instability. Grinders have now held index 122.22 for two consecutive weeks with no promotional activity; a third week would indicate durable repricing rather than a transient inventory effect.

CBD Capsule trajectory: With prices now at their index low (95.56), discount depth at 51.6%, and a thin 36-SKU population, next week will indicate whether this is a floor or the beginning of deeper correction. Watch discount penetration — if it rises above 30%, that signals further markdown pressure.

THC Oil stabilisation: The category has swung +19.9% then −16.6% in consecutive weeks, reflecting thin market conditions with only 33 products. A third week of volatility would confirm structural instability; product count expansion is the key indicator to monitor.

Grinder durability: Grinders have held 122.22 for two consecutive weeks. A third week at this level would indicate durable repricing rather than a transient inventory effect. Discount activity is the tell — any increase above 1% penetration would suggest the elevated prices are being defended through promotion.

CBD vs THC spread: The gap between CBD (£44.15) and THC (£28.70) average effective prices has widened for three consecutive weeks. Watch whether CBD Oil — the most price-resilient CBD subcategory at index 98.81 — holds its position or follows Capsules and Edibles downward.

Methodology Notes

Index Construction: Weekly index values represent price-weighted averages normalised to baseline week (December 8, 2025 = 100). Products are included based on consistent availability and pricing data quality.

Effective Price: Average effective price reflects actual listed prices including promotional discounts where applicable. Regular prices are used when sale prices are unavailable.

Category Classification: Products are classified using deterministic subcategory matching. Mixed or ambiguous products are assigned to primary category based on merchant metadata.

Sample Constraints: Categories with fewer than 50 products should be interpreted with caution due to high variance from individual SKU changes. This applies this week to THC Oil (33 products) and CBD Capsules (36 products).

How to Cite This Index

Source: CannabisDealsUS Cannabis Price Index. Weekly cannabis retail price index tracking consumer prices and discounts across licensed U.S. online retailers.

Primary source: https://cannabisdealsus.com/cannabis-price-index/

Dataset archive: Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18351089)

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0

Analysis: Theo Valmis, Founder, CannabisDealsUS

Explore More

• How the Cannabis Price Index Works
• Cannabis Price Index Use Cases
• How Cannabis Pricing Works Online
• Cannabis Price Index Methodology
• Previous Weekly Updates

Last Updated on February 21, 2026 by CannabisDealsUS Editorial Team